"Now, then, Granny, I've eaten the Plums, and if you don't give me Sixpence, I'll swallow the Stones!" A "BLOOMER" (in Leap Year).-" Say! oh, say, Dearest, will you be mine?" STRONG-MINDED "BLOOMER."-"Now, do, Alfred, put down that foolish Novel, and do something rational Go and play something You never practice, now you're married." FIGS. 1 and 2.-HOME AND WALKING DRESSES. HORT cloaks and mantillas, with dark figured light at the edge of the lapel and the sleeves, where some style as the lace in the skirt; the lapel and sleeves are trimmed with real black lace. Two large velvet costume for this season. They are recommended for their elegance, comfort, and convenience. Figure 1 represents a HOME or DINNER DRESS.-rosettes ornament the body; and a similar one holds No cap, and hair arranged in puffed bands, ornamented with two tufts of taffeta ribbons, intermixed with a few small loops of No. 2 velvet; then, quite behind, these loops become longer; lastly, on each side hang long loose ends of taffeta ribbon, and others of velvet not so long. The dress is quite a new model; it is à disposition; that is to say, the designs are so arranged as to fall in certain parts of the dress. The material is very thick, dark silk, a sort of lampas. The top of the skirt is worked with very light, black designs, which do not reach quite up to the waist. The stripes are obtained in the stuff by imitations of velvet, which simulate the appearance of velvet ribbons of graduated widths. The black lace is also woven in the stuff, and imitates real lace very naturally. The body and sleeves are plain, except up each sleeve, just above the bend of the arm. These special patterns woven in the fabric may be replaced by the application of ornaments of velvet ribbon and real lace on the skirt.-Mittens of black silk embroidered: these mittens are indispensable with the sleeves now worn. They come up the arm and accompany the trimming of the pagodas; the flounces on the arm have an excellent effect. Between the black lace of the sleeve and the trimmings of the mitten, there is some white lace trimming, which gives an air of lightness to the whole.-There is another very pretty style of Dinner Costume. It consists of a jupe of pale buff satin, with deep volant, headed by a narrow rûche of the same; loin de feu of crimson velvet, low in the neck: the jacket being à la Hongroie; wide pagoda sleeves, finished by a very broad silk trimming, the jacket edged to corre- | the cheek, and covers the edge of the brim with its spond. A scarf of black lace is tied negligently round curls. The cheeks are trimmed with tufts of blue the neck, falling over the top of the corsage. Figure 2 represents a WALKING COSTUME. Bonnet of satin velvet; the front satin, the crown velvet. The edge of the front is trimmed with two small satin bouillonnés; the bouillonnés of the band and crown are veivet.-Dress of black lampas, rigured: the patterns form wreaths one over the other, with a large flower and pointed leaves detaching themselves through difference of shade in the worked figures on the plain ground.-Cloak, of black velvet. This cloak, very full, has a large flat collar, pointed in front, rounded behind. From the points hang very long black silk tassels, with broad ornaments over them. Behind, the cloak is continued in a round shape, but longer than in front. The fore parts lap over and drape one on the other; the right side clasps almost behind, on the left shoulder, under the collar; from this place hangs a long tassel, as well as at the bottom of the side that laps over. All around the edge of the cloak and collar is silk galloon, from three to four inches wide, sewed on flat; each side of this galloon is satined for about half an inch in width, and the middle is worked dead. The edge is finished off with a narrow fringe, little more than half an inch wide. In the draped part, when the arm is raised, the lining is seen; its color contrasts with the stuff. primroses. The strings are No. 22; they are edged with dead stripes crossed with small bars. Dress of black velvet. Winter mantelet of black velvet and blue satin, lined with blue satin, and trimm.ed with blue loose fringe, mixed with ends of black twisted cherille. This mantelet, round behind, has the stole shape in front; it is composed of bands of black velvet, from three to four inches wide, and bands of blue satin. Both velvet and satin are drawn in the middle and gathered like a bonnet; nothing can be rounder, softer, more luxuriously warm than this garment. The fringes at the edge are about seven inches deep where the arm comes, and deepen gradu ally toward the back, where they are ten inches deep FIG. 3.-WALKING COSTUME. Figure 3 represents a full winter costume, for a pleasant day, when furs are not indispensable. Bonnet, satin and blond. The brim is transparent, of white blond, gathered; it comes forward on the forehead, and opens off at the sides; the crown is rather square; it is made of white satin, gathered so as to form a shell without stiffness. The sides of the crown are composed of two small puffed rolls and a large bouillonné, all of white satin. The top of the crown is covered with a piece of blond which comes down and forms the curtain. Three white feathers at the side; the bottom one comes forward against FIGS. 4 AND 5.-HOOD AND HEAD-DRESS. Figure 4 represents the hood of a new and graceful mantle for promenading in the open air, for a short distance. The appearance of the hood is very graceful. When the mantle is worn in walking in private grounds, or going to a place of amusement, the hair can be arranged in any style, without danger of being disturbed, or with a bonnet. A mantle of blue silk, the hood and body trimmed with deep black lace, headed with a ruché of silk, is a pretty style. The bottom edge of the hood, and the part which draws over the head, should be thus trimmed, the latter having a fulling of lace. Figure 5 shows a portion of a very chaste costume for a young married lady. Hair ornamented with broad velvet ribbons rolled in the torsade and with ends floating at each side. Plain silk dress with the body very open in front, and the trimming composed of a worked band, four inches wide, sewed flat on another of eight or ten inches broad; this trimming, which is not gathered, forms a kind of double berthe, and gets less toward the bottom so as to round off gracefully, and not mark the waist too decidedly. Three bows of black velvet decorate the front of the body. The sleeves are short, and have two rows of gathered trimming; the skirt which is very ample, is smooth at top, and trimmed below with six figured flounces, a small one over a larger one, three times its width. When this figured stuff is not at hand, it may be replaced by embroidery or a simple festoon. The figures are worked in white. The habit shirt is made of silk-net, is high and square in front, where it is finished off with two rows of lace standing up. The body is rich open-work insertions and small plaits. The under-sleeves have a silk-net bouillon, with handsome lace raised in front, by a black velvet bow. NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE. No. XXI-FEBRUARY, 1852.-VOL. IV. B Franklin [Entered according to Act of Congress.] PUBLIC LIFE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. BY JACOB ABBOTT. there lived, as it were, two Benjamin Franklins; Benjamin Franklin the honest Philadelphia printer, who quietly prosecuted his trade during the first part of the eighteenth century, setting an example of industry and thrift which was destined afterward to exert an influence over half the world-and Benjamin Franklin the great American statesman, who flourished in the last part of the same century, and occupied himself in building and securing the foundations of what will perhaps prove the greatest political power that any human combination has ever formed. It is this latter history which is to form the subject of the present article. It is remarkable that the first functions which Franklin fulfilled in public life were of a military character. When he found that his thrift and prosperity as a citizen, and the integrity and good sense which were so conspicuous in his personal character, were giving him a great ascendency among his fellow men, he naturally began to take an interest in the welfare of the community; and when he first began to turn his attention in earnest to this subject, which was about the year 1743, there were two points which seemed to him to demand attention. One was, the want of a college in Philadelphia; the other, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN entered upon his the necessity of some means of defense against foreign invasion. Spain had been for some time at war with England, and now France had joined with Spain in prosecuting the war. The English colonies in America were in imminent danger of being attacked by the French forces. The influence of the Friends was, however, predominant in the colonial legislature, and no vote could be obtained there for any military purposes; though the governor, and a very considerable part of the population, were extremely desirous that suitable preparations for defending the city should be made. career as a public man when very near the middle of the active portion of his life. His history, therefore, naturally divides itself into two equal portions, each entirely distinct from the other. Until the age of about thirty-five he was simply a Philadelphia mechanic, discharging his duties, however, in that capacity so gracefully and with such brilliant success, as to invest industry, and frugality, and all the other plain and unpretending virtues of humble life with a sort of poetic charm which has been the means of commending them in the most effectual manner, to millions of his countrymen. At length, having accomplished in this field a work equal to the labor of any ordinary life-time, he was by a sudden shifting of the scene in the drama of his life, as it were, withdrawn from it, at once and entirely, and ushered into a wholly different sphere. Under these circumstances Franklin wrote and During all the latter half of his life he was al- published a pamphlet entitled Plain Truth, placmost exclusively a public man. He was brought ing the defenseless condition of the colony in a forward by a peculiar combination of circum- strong light, and calling upon the people to take stances into a most conspicuous position; a po- measures for averting the danger. This parsition, which not only made him the object of phlet produced a great sensation. A meeting of interest and attention to the whole civilized world, the citizens was convened. An enrollment of but which also invested him with a controlling the citizens in voluntary companies was propower in respect to some of the most important posed and carried by acclamation. Papers were events and transactions of modern times. Thus circulated and large numbers of signatures were VOL. IV.-No. 21.-T There was thus much diversity of sentiment in the public mind, and many conflicting opinions were expressed in private conversation; but every thing was unsettled, and no one could tell what it was best to undertake to do. |